Island
Ducati dominated the MotoGP Australian Grand Prix last weekend, as usual. However, Borgo Panigale’s dominance took on a new dimension at Phillip Island, as the Italian marque achieved a feat that no manufacturer had managed to achieve since Honda in the 1997 season.
Ducati once again blocked all available podium places at Phillip Island, thanks to the victory of Marc Marquez, followed closely by Jorge Martin, while Pecco Bagnaia completed the top three, a handful of seconds behind.
The representatives of the brand did not stop there, however, since behind, Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo) and Franco Morbidelli (Pramac Racing) completed the top-5. Finally, Fabio Di Giannantonio (VR46) reached the finish in sixth position. A result that allows Borgo Panigale to block the first six positions of this race, a first in MotoGP.
Indeed, we have to go back to the 1997 season, and therefore to the 500cc era, to see a manufacturer achieve such a feat. Honda had then won the French Grand Prix thanks to Mick Doohan, on the Paul Ricard circuit. Carlos Checa, Tadayuki Okada, Alex Crivillé, Takuma Aoki and Alex Barros completed the top-6 behind the Australian.
A record that could have been even more impressive, had it not been for the crashes of Marco Bezzecchi and Alex Marquez. It also means that all the Ducatis that reached the finish line did so ahead of each of the machines from the other brands. The first non-Ducati rider to cross the checkered flag at Phillip Island was Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM), in seventh position.
